10 Fat Burning Tips

According to a recent study, your resting metabolic rate–or the rate at which you burn calories while your body is at rest–can decrease anywhere from 11-27% per year as you age.

This means that with time, you have to eat less calories, or you have to work out more and more in order to keep up with your ever-growing fat cells.

Because you probably do not have tons of free time, here are some simple fat burning tips that you can incorporate into your daily schedule:

1. Start Running

If you can find time to job for 30-60 minutes a day, you’ll burn calories loads of calories while you’re running. The rate that your burn calories while you’re not running will also go up significantly.

2. Alternate Intensity

If you alternate both high-intensity and low-intensity cardio workouts, studies have shown that you are more likely to torch more calories.

3. Lift First

Rather than starting with cardio, do your strength training while your muscles are still fresh. Dr. Pierre Manfroy says that “you’ll see more gains in strength and muscle mass” if you do one move after another without pausing.

4. Start Fast

If you’re used to easing yourself into a workout, try to focus on starting out at your highest intensity. One study from the College of New Jersey showed that working out harder during the first half of a workout will burn up to 23% more fat than doing it the other way around.

5. Crank Up Protein

If you incorporate a lot of protein into your breakfast and lunch you’re more likely to burn more fat after your meal than if you eat less protein.

6. Keep Above 1,200

Even though crash diets might tell you otherwise, dipping below 1,200 calories is actually hurtful to your midsection. When your body is forced to live on so few calories it will revert to a fat-storing starvation mode as a natural instinct. By eating at least 1,200 calories each day you’ll burn calories more efficiently.

7. Don’t Drink Your Calories

Forget about pushing away the plate, research shows that one of the most important ways to limit your caloric intake is by pushing away the glass. Most Americans add at least a couple hundred calories each day by drinking sugary drinks.

Drink alcohol in moderation. Not only are there calories in alcohol, but it can also slow your metabolism by as much as 73%.

8. Graze

One study showed that women who go without eating for long periods of time are more likely to have higher body-fat percentages than those who eat regularly. Even if it is a small snack, try to sneak a few calories in to keep your blood sugar levels normal.

9. Eat A Smaller Dinner

You might not be able to digest your food as well closer to bedtime. Try to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper.

10. Sleep On It

Although it might not seem energy efficient to be sleeping, research shows that those who sleep at least 8 hours lose more fat than those who are sleep deprived.

Rather than surrendering to a lowering metabolism, use these fat burning tips to stay healthier and burn more fat.